Risk assessments sit at the heart of every health and safety management system. They provide a structured method for identifying hazards, evaluating the likelihood and severity of harm, and determining appropriate control measures. In many jurisdictions, employers are legally obligated to carry out suitable and sufficient risk assessments for all work activities. Yet, despite their importance, risk assessments are often rushed or treated as a paper exercise rather than a living safety tool.
This step-by-step guide walks you through a practical risk assessment checklist that you can apply to any workplace or activity, helping you move from compliance to genuine risk reduction.
Why Risk Assessments Matter
A well-executed risk assessment prevents injuries and saves lives. It also protects organisations from enforcement action, civil claims, and reputational damage. Beyond legal compliance, risk assessments empower workers to understand the hazards they face and the controls that keep them safe. When employees are involved in the assessment process, they are far more likely to follow safe systems of work because they understand the reasoning behind them.
Risk assessments also provide essential documentation that insurers, clients, and regulators may request at any time. Keeping assessments current demonstrates due diligence and a proactive approach to managing workplace safety.
Risk Assessment Checklist: The Five Steps
Step 1 — Identify the Hazards
The first step is to look systematically at everything that could cause harm. Walk the workplace, talk to employees, review accident records, and consult manufacturer guidance for equipment and substances.
- Walk the area and observe all tasks, equipment, and materials in use
- Review historical incident and near-miss reports for recurring issues
- Consult safety data sheets for any chemicals or hazardous substances
- Speak with employees who perform the tasks daily to uncover hidden hazards
- Consider non-routine activities such as maintenance, cleaning, and emergency procedures
Step 2 — Determine Who Might Be Harmed
Not everyone faces the same risks. Different groups, including employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public, may be exposed to hazards in different ways.
- List all groups of people who work in or visit the area
- Identify vulnerable individuals such as new starters, young workers, pregnant employees, and lone workers
- Consider contractors and delivery drivers who may be unfamiliar with site hazards
- Account for members of the public if the workplace is accessible to them
Step 3 — Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Controls
For each hazard, assess the likelihood that harm will occur and the potential severity. Use the hierarchy of controls to select the most effective measures: eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, then PPE.
- Rate each risk using a consistent matrix, such as likelihood multiplied by severity
- Apply the hierarchy of controls, prioritising elimination and substitution over PPE
- Document existing controls and identify any gaps that require additional measures
- Set realistic timescales and assign responsibility for implementing new controls
- Ensure controls are proportionate to the level of risk identified
Step 4 — Record and Implement Findings
A risk assessment has no value if it sits in a drawer. Findings must be recorded clearly, communicated to those affected, and implemented without unnecessary delay.
- Document hazards, who is at risk, existing controls, and additional actions required
- Share the assessment with all relevant employees and contractors
- Integrate findings into induction programmes and toolbox talks
- Ensure adequate resources, including budget and training, are available to implement controls
Step 5 — Review and Update
Workplaces change over time, and risk assessments must keep pace. A review should be triggered by any significant change, incident, or at defined intervals.
- Schedule periodic reviews, typically annually or when significant changes occur
- Revisit assessments after any incident, near miss, or change in legislation
- Update assessments when new equipment, processes, or substances are introduced
- Record the review date and the name of the person who carried out the review
Step 6 — Communicate and Train
Controls are only effective if people know about them. Communication closes the loop between assessment and safe behaviour on the ground.
- Brief all affected workers on the assessment findings and required safe behaviours
- Include risk assessment outcomes in site inductions and safety briefings
- Make assessments readily accessible at the point of work
- Encourage workers to report new hazards or control failures immediately
Best Practices for Risk Assessments
- Involve frontline workers in the process because they have first-hand knowledge of hazards and practical insights into effective controls
- Keep language simple so that assessments are understood by everyone, not just safety professionals
- Focus on significant risks rather than cataloguing every trivial hazard, which dilutes the importance of critical findings
- Use a consistent scoring method across all assessments so that risks can be compared and prioritised objectively
- Store assessments digitally to enable quick retrieval, version control, and trend analysis
How Checksheets Helps
Checksheets streamlines the entire risk assessment process with digital templates that guide assessors through each step. Our platform allows you to score risks consistently, attach photographic evidence, assign corrective actions, and set review reminders so that no assessment goes stale. Centralised storage means every assessment is searchable and available at the click of a button, whether you need it for an audit, a client enquiry, or an incident investigation.
By digitising your risk assessments with Checksheets, you transform a static document into a dynamic safety tool that evolves with your workplace and keeps your team protected.